(19)
(11) EP 1 109 201 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
05.11.2003 Bulletin 2003/45

(43) Date of publication A2:
20.06.2001 Bulletin 2001/25

(21) Application number: 00310724.0

(22) Date of filing: 04.12.2000
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: H01L 21/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 17.12.1999 US 466628

(71) Applicant: Axcelis Technologies, Inc.
Beverly, MA 01915 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Ryan, Kevin Thomas
    Wilmington, Middlesex, MA 01887 (US)
  • Kellerman, Peter Lawrence
    Essex, Essex, MA 01929 (US)
  • Sinclair, Frank
    Quincy, Norfolk, MA 02170 (US)
  • Allen, Ernest Everett, Jr.
    Rockport, Essex, MA 01966 (US)
  • Fish, Roger Bradford
    Bedford, Middlesex, MA 01730 (US)

(74) Representative: Burke, Steven David et al
R.G.C. Jenkins & Co. 26 Caxton Street
London SW1H 0RJ
London SW1H 0RJ (GB)

   


(54) Serial wafer handling mechanism


(57) A wafer handling system for a wafer processing apparatus includes a wafer load lock chamber, a wafer processing chamber and a transfer chamber operatively coupled to the wafer load lock chamber and the wafer processing chamber. The transfer chamber includes a wafer transfer mechanism comprising a transfer arm pivotably coupled to a portion of the transfer chamber which forms an axis. The transfer arm is operable to rotate about the axis to transfer a wafer between the wafer load lock chamber and the process chamber in a single axis wafer movement. The invention also includes a method of transferring a wafer to a wafer processing apparatus. The method includes loading a wafer into a wafer load lock chamber and rotating a transfer arm into the wafer load lock chamber to retrieve the wafer therein. The method further includes rotating the transfer arm out of the wafer load lock chamber and into a process chamber to deposit the wafer therein, wherein the rotating of the transfer arm occurs in a single axis wafer movement.






Search report